Are you underestimating your horse’s weight?
Tuesday 8 February 2011
A new study undertaken by Oakham Veterinary Hospital in Leicestershire has shown that as many as 54% of horses and ponies in the UK are overweight or obese. Published in Horse & Hound last week, this ‘snapshot’ of the country indicates that the problem is worse than previously thought and drastic measures are needed to help owners tackle the weight problem.
Allen & Page product and nutrition manager Catherine Hale advises: “The key to good weight management is being able to recognise your horse’s body shape and measure weight as accurately as possible. I carried out research at Hartpury College, with recent graduate, Melissa Biggin, where we highlighted the growing problem of obesity, and the need for owners to be much more aware of how to manage both their horse’s body weight, but also their animal’s diet too. Having surveyed 250 owners we found that most are significantly over-feeding energy to their horses by an average of 30%, with some owners feeding as much as double the amount of energy needed. This is confounded by the fact that owners significantly under-estimate their horse’s body weight, meaning that they are often unaware that there is a problem.”
Accurate weight measurement and body condition scoring helps to provide a good overall view of condition and it is important to check your horses and ponies regularly. Excess weight can cause a variety of problems, from joint damage to laminitis, yet it is very preventable – a good place to start is by providing a high fibre, low sugar diet. To discuss your horse or pony’s diet and condition scoring call the nutritional advice line on 01362 822902.
Read the news story here: Horse & Hound Feb 2011
 Image courtesy of Catherine Hale
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New ASM for Essex, Suffolk and KentWe are delighted to announce the appointment of Annie Hughes as the new Area Sales Manager for the Essex, Suffolk and Kent region. Date: 27 April 2012 YHL winner has ace lessonAnna Young was our very lucky winner of the star prize at Your Horse Live 2011 – a lesson with top event rider and all round superstar Pippa Funnell! Date: 13 April 2012 |